{
  "abstract": "This study aimed to establish the vitamin E requirement for Atlantic salmon during smoltification and to evaluate its long-term implications for fish welfare. Using a regression design, seven diets with graded levels of α-tocopherol (aTOH) ranging from 38 to 710 mg/kg were tested in duplicate or triplicate tanks stocked with 110 Atlantic salmon (initial weight: 81 ± 2 g), respectively. After 11 weeks, 12 fish were sampled as freshwater smolts (FW-smolts), while the remaining fish were transferred to seawater and subjected to a challenge involving combined hypoxia and temperature stress before being sampled (seawater smolt [SW-smolt]). Additionally, 22 fish from each tank were transferred to a single sea cage and fed a common commercial diet for 5 months to assess the long-term impact of vitamin E nutrition during smoltification on key welfare indicators in post-smolt. No significant effects of dietary aTOH levels on growth performance were observed, but feed intake increased in FW-smolt fed up to 82 mg/kg. A high deposition of aTOH in liver tissue was observed in both FW- and SW-smolt fed more than 400 mg aTOH/kg. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in the liver decreased with aTOH supplementation with breakpoints at 457 mg/kg for FW-smolt and 99 mg/kg for SW-smolt, suggesting life-stage-specific differences in oxidative stress reduction. In SW-smolt, muscle astaxanthin levels increased linearly in response to dietary aTOH. Hematocrit and hemoglobin levels were unaffected in FW-smolt but displayed breakpoints in SW-smolt at 367 and 450 mg/kg, respectively. Welfare assessments revealed that fish fed 38 mg/kg during smoltification had a higher incidence of cataracts at the SW-smolt stage and complete vertebral fusion at the post-smolt stage. These findings suggest a minimum dietary aTOH requirement of 82 mg/kg to mitigate welfare issues, while tissue homeostasis, blood marks, and MDA suggest a practical requirement around 367-450 mg/kg.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Research Group of Feed and Nutrition Institute of Marine Research Bergen 5005 Norway imr.no.",
    "Hamre Aquatic Nutrition Breiviken 8 Bergen 5042 Norway.",
    "Reproduction and Developmental Biology Group Institute of Marine Research Matre Research Station Matredal 5984 Norway imr.no.",
    "Nutrition and Feed Technology Department Norwegian Institute of Food, Fisheries and Aquaculture Research (Nofima) Bergen 5141 Norway nofima.no.",
    "Skretting Aquaculture Innovation P.O. Box 48 Stavanger 4001 Norway skretting.com."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 10,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Pauline Wischhusen",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-9882-802X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Kristin Hamre",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-8302-3827"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Per Gunnar Fjelldal",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-9237-2706"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Kaja H Skjærven",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-4185-390X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Sofie C Remø",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-2076-1918"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Katerina Kousoulaki",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-8021-5452"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Anne-Catrin Adam",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-9713-4512"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Ingunn Stubhaug",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-9960-4418"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Antony Jesu Prabhu Philip",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-2839-0704"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Nini H Sissener",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-8019-4049"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/can2e2dg0fx30.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1155/anu/8100107",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13724154",
  "id": "can2e2dg0fx30",
  "issns": [
    "1353-5773",
    "1365-2095"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42968881",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Article"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Research Article"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "1104|Aquaculture Nutrition and Growth"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7225043912",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13724154?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13724154",
  "pmid": "42968881",
  "published": "2026-11-01",
  "publisher": "Wiley",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/can2e2dg0fx30.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-03T15:20:53Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42968881",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42968881"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-04T12:22:40Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13724154",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1155/anu/8100107"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "openalex:1104|Aquaculture Nutrition and Growth",
      "subfield": "ecology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Vitamin E Requirement in Practical Feed for Farmed Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) During Smoltification and Its Long-Term Impact on Fish Welfare.",
  "title_text": "Vitamin E Requirement in Practical Feed for Farmed Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) During Smoltification and Its Long-Term Impact on Fish Welfare.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-05T03:20:55Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/can2e2dg0fx30",
  "venue": "Aquaculture nutrition",
  "versions": []
}